VA 'STOP PAIN' Best Practices Guidelines

Week of August 07, 2017

Military.com

Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin has announced the release of VA's top eight best practices to share with others in government and the healthcare industry who work to balance pain management and opioid prescribing, based on what VA has learned over the past four years. These best practices are summed up by the acronym S.T.O.P. P.A.I.N., which stands for: (1) stepped-care model, (2) treatment alternatives/ complimentary care, (3) ongoing monitoring of usage, (4) practice guidelines, (5) prescription monitoring, (6) academic detailing, (7) informed consent for patients, and (8) naloxone distribution. For more information, read the VA press release and visit the VHA Pain Management webpage.